Reading Borough Council's housing, neighbourhoods and leisure committee approved the proposal for officers to negotiate terms for granting a three-year licence to Billy William & Sons for the festive event at a meeting on Wednesday.

Two weeks before Christmas last year Reading 's favourite park was transformed into a winter wonderland complete with an ice rink and magical Santa’s Grotto.

The report said: "As evidenced by the large number of visits and substantively positive comments in local press and left on local news forums and social media the event has been very well received by local people.

"More generally, feedback and enquiries received by officers and the operator relating to the event were positive with a genuine sense of excitement and appreciation that such an event has been staged."

Joey Essex opens the real ice rink in Forbury Gardens

Billy William & Sons invested more than £170,000 in the event. It incurred a small operating loss of £9,500 for increased fuel use due to the weather being warmer and more fuel being needed to keep the ice frozen. Ironically when the time came for the rink to be defrosted there was a cold snap resulting in more energy being needed to heat and thaw the ice.

Lead councillor for culture, sport and consumer services Paul Gittings said: "We know many, many families came along and enjoyed themselves at Christmas. It is the first step to increasing the family offering in this town."

Cllr Kelly Edwards asked if the ice rink would open earlier this year as she felt opening just two weekends before Christmas did not give families much time to get their skates on.

Lead officer Marcus Hermon confirmed the operator had shown interest in opening one or two weeks earlier.